Member Avatar for Dani

I was wondering if anyone out there had any opinions (strong or otherwise) about Discourse (http://www.discourse.org), the new Javascript-based discussion system built using Ruby by the guy behind StackOverflow.

It's meant to revolutionize forum systems. Do you think it does?? It's a nice JS-based skin, I'll give it that, but I'm not so sure it's as revolutionary and amazing as it claims to be.

Then again, it only takes one unique twist on an existing idea to make something revolutionary. Too much change and people just can't wrap their minds around it because it's too foreign a concept to them.

For example, take blogging. It was around for over a decade before someone said, "Let's create a blog that only lets people type in up to 140 characters per entry!" and suddenly we have Twitter.

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Member Avatar for Stuugie

I'm not really sure how this is apart from other forum services like vBulletin?!? I've used vBulletin and it's not difficult or confusing and if you have the right tech frame of mind, not too buggy. I do like the look of Discourse though and the maneuverability too but I don’t see how it is better than other forum software. Perhaps I just need to read more.

Member Avatar for Dani

Stuugie, are you talking from a user perspective or forum admin / owner perspective?

Member Avatar for Stuugie

Both actually. The site owner at www.thecodecage.com let me test run vBulletin v 3 (or something like that) for a university project I was working on and I liked it, from an admin perspective. From a user's perspective I like it too. However, I like your site layout and usability (as a user of course) better than vBulletin. Did you create this beast or did you buy the software?

Member Avatar for Dani

I began by skinning vBulletin and creating lots of my own vBulletin plug-ins. Eventually it got to the point where there was no way of even knowing it was vBulletin anymore.

I then went and coded our current proprietary platform from the ground up, mimicing most of the features and functionality that we had with the vBulletin system (a nearly identical style, for example) but tried to make things easier and more streamlined than Frankenstein'ing vB plugins on top of each other.

Member Avatar for Stuugie

Well you did a dam%ed fine job imo.

Member Avatar for Dani

Thanks!! :) Much appreciated. We launched the new system in March 2012 so just a bit before you registered it seems. Do you remember the old vBulletin system from before you joined??

Member Avatar for Stuugie

Unfortunately no, I remember it always being the way it is now. When I first registered I didn't come back as often as I do now so that's probably why.

Member Avatar for Dani

Oh well. I was just curious. No worries.

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